See Her Smile
by Kourin Lucrece
Summary: Rent: April story. Mimi asks Mark to tell her about Roger's last girlfriend
1. Chapter 1

See Her Smile  
  
By Kourin Lucrece  
  
Disclaimer: Rent and all of its characters are the creation of the late, great Jonathan Larson. So is the song See Her Smile from 'tick, tick... BOOM!'.  
  
"Something's breaking my baby's heart  
  
Oh, just want to see her smile"  
  
Mimi flipped casually through some of Mark's old photo albums, looking at shots from a time before the group had been touched by drama, before she had even met them. It was a hot day and in a fit of boredom while waiting for Roger to get home from rehearsal she had decided to go through Mark's pictures.  
  
She looked up at the filmmaker himself, reading a book and completely oblivious to the world around him. Mimi smile and went back to randomly flipping the pages. A picture of Maureen sticking her tongue out at Benny, who was hysterical laughing. Another shot of Roger frowning at his guitar as Collins chuckled in the background. But then she came across a page that made her pause.  
  
There were a series of photos of a girl she'd never seen before. The first was her alone. She had chin length brown hair and large laughing hazel eyes, her nose was small and her full lips curved in a soft smile. The girl was sitting cross legged on the couch, a pair of cut-offs emphasizing her long legs and an over sized t-shirt hung on a slender, graceful form. The next shot showed her kissing Roger on the cheek, and the next her and Maureen laughing at something out of view. With shock, she realized who she was looking at.  
  
"Mark?" she asked softly and her friend looked up. "Could you tell me about April?"  
  
He looked shocked for a moment before his expression turned unreadable. The filmmaker's gaze shifted to the pictures in her hand and for a moment Mimi thought he would refuse. But then Mark smiled, patting the seat next to him on the couch. "Sure, Meems. What do you want to know?"  
  
She eagerly plopped down next to him. "Everything." She responded.  
  
Mark leaned back, clearly thinking. He hadn't talked about April in a long time, didn't even know where to begin. But it made sense that Mimi would want to know about the girl that had been such a major part in Roger's life, and whose death had been prologue to her entrance.  
  
"April Rose Smith," he said finally as though giving her full name would tell him where to start. "She met Rog at one of his concerts..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Roger walked back into the loft, accompanied by a new girl, laughing at something. Mark looked up, but wasn't surprised at this. Roger came home from almost every gig with a girl. Collins was out with his boyfriend and Maureen had disappeared somewhere, as had Benny, so it was just him for most of the day.  
  
Now, though, something different from other evenings happened. Roger invited the girl to sit down as he walked into the bathroom. She sat somewhat shyly next to Mark on the couch and looked over his shoulder at his notebook.  
  
"You write?" she asked him. Her tone wasn't flirtatious, merely curious and Mark smiled despite himself. She didn't really seem the type who just went home with a guy for the night.  
  
"Yeah, screenplays."  
  
She smiled as well, a really great smile. "Anything I might have heard of?"  
  
Mark laughed. "No," he told her shaking his head, "but one day."  
  
The girl held out her hand. "I'm April."  
  
"Mark." They shook hands and then Mark set his notebook on the table. "So... What do you do?"  
  
"I'm a dancer, ballet." There was a hint of pride and a lot of happiness in the girl's tone.  
  
"That's really cool." Mark heard the bathroom door shut and sighed. Now they would go into the other room and that would be the end of it. But Roger surprised his roommate yet again by sitting down and placing an arm around the girl's shoulders.  
  
"So I see you two have met," he remarked with his normal grin. "Me and April met up at the club and got to talking," he explained to Mark. "Figured it was easier to hear at home."  
  
Mark chuckled wryly. "I'll bet."  
  
The rest of the night was quite enjoyable and a good break from the normal routine. Each of the three found the others' company quite enjoyable and they spent the night discussing and joking and laughing. As their other roommates came home, they found themselves all hanging out as they hadn't done in the longest time. And it was only the beginning.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Kind of a bad first chapter, but I decided that I'd write a story about April, where she wasn't into drugs nor was she the reason for Roger taking them. Tell me what you think so far! 


	2. Chapter 2

See Her Smile  
  
By Kourin Lucrece  
  
Disclaimer: I wish, more than anything, more than jewels... (and that is a quote from Into the Woods, don't own that either...)  
  
Author's Note: Hey folks!! Thanks for reading, jeez I've been getting a lot of writing done lately. Not just fan-fics either... Anyway, since so many people asked, this fic is going to be neither April corrupting Roger nor vice-versa. Read on to see how it works!  
  
The sight of April in the loft soon became a familiar one, and the inhabitants quickly grew close to her. She and Maureen would go 'shopping' (they had no money) and were often helping each other rehearse for performances. Collins had a new audience for his philosophical ramblings and they even joked about the morals of anarchy. Benny often teased and flirted, laughing when she blushed and then asking her opinion about ideas for his dream studio. Mark and April were often talking about whatever they thought of or going to the Life to get breakfast for the little family. Not to mention all of the time she spent with Roger, laughing and whispering and kissing.  
  
No one was very surprised when she moved in.  
  
Things were going really well for all of them. Roger's band had a steady stream of gigs and Mark had a job helping with sound equipment, but had sold one or two photographs. Collins got a job teaching 'Computer Age Philosophy' at NYU. Maureen's protests always drew in large crowds. April got a lead in a new modern dance show. Even Benny had a new job, though none of them were quite sure what it was... Things were definitely looking up.  
  
One evening, Mark was coming home from filming and he heard the sound of music and laughter from inside the loft. He unlocked the door and was immediately grabbed by Maureen, who pulled him onto the couch with her. She was sitting with Collins, watching April try to teach Roger how to tango.  
  
After a minute, Roger dropped to a sitting position, claiming he was a musician not a dancer. He looked up and noticed Mark, a grin spreading over his face. "Mark knows how to tango, though. Doesn't he, Maureen?"  
  
They all laughed as the filmmaker tried to sneak out of the room, but April grabbed his arm. "C'mon, Marky! You can show up Rog in something!" With a laugh, he obeyed and Roger restarted the tape of music. One thing was definitely true, they sure could tango.  
  
As the song switched to something more upbeat, April leaned closer and whispered something in Mark's ear. They grinned at each other and began a more energetic partner dance. Laughing, Maureen pulled Roger up into a standing position, forcing him to dance as well, albeit somewhat badly... ("Hey, don't step on my toes!!")  
  
Collins pouted childishly at them. "Hey! Don't I get to dance?" he asked, laughing.  
  
Well, enter Benny, who somehow became the dancer partner of an anarchist. After about a few minutes, Roger tripped over Maureen's feet, causing both of them to trip and take down Benny and Collins with them. (No one noticed that April and Mark had stopped dancing and were taping the whole thing, snickering the entire time.) They all collapsed into laughter.  
  
Evenings like that were normal occurrences in the loft at that time. It was Benny's contention that it was the reason that neither he nor Collins could keep a steady relationship. Their 'family' scared them away.  
  
They all stayed in their respective positions for a while longer, teasing each other about the dance. Roger grumbled something about a Junior High mentality and April decided to prove it by tickling him.  
  
Maureen watched them with amusement, sitting lightly in Mark's lap. He whispered something in her ear that caused her to laugh, and he grinned at her. Suddenly she said, "Are you all coming to my performance tomorrow?"  
  
They all looked up in surprise at the sudden change of topic. Sometimes it seemed as though Maureen never actually paid attention to what went on with everyone else. There was a general affirmation from the whole group, except Roger.  
  
She pouted. "Why aren't you coming?"  
  
He shrugged noncommittally. "Meeting with the band."  
  
Everyone let it go. Maureen did this often enough that she was the only one who would make a big deal out of someone missing a performance.  
  
~~~  
  
When they walked back into the loft the next evening, they were all still laughing about the outcome of Maureen's protest of the city pound's treatment of animals. (She had dressed in a skin-tight black leather cat burglar outfit, which probably accounted for most of the crowd...)  
  
Roger was sitting in the 'kitchen' of the loft. (i.e. a section with a table, fridge and cabinet.) He stared into a glass of some alcohol that obviously was far from his first.  
  
"Baby, what's wrong?" April asked, concerned. She put a hand on his shoulder and he turned to her with a frown, eyes slightly glazed from the drink.  
  
"CBGB's not gonna take our band's gigs anymore. Not enough of a crowd..."  
  
"Oh geez, hun, I'm sorry. Things will get better though..." she bit her lip as he downed the remainder of his drink. "How much have you had to drink tonight?"  
  
He shrugged, adjusting the sleeve of his pullover. "Dunno. Me'n the guys decided to go out and forget about it, you know?" He yawned. "I'm going to bed."  
  
As he passed Mark and Maureen, the filmmaker noticed a slight gloss of sweat on Roger's forehead despite the fact that the musician's hands shook. He'd probably have one hell of a hangover in the morning.  
  
-----  
  
Comments? 


	3. Chapter 3

See Her Smile  
  
By Kourin Lucrece  
  
Disclaimer: Technically, the only thing I own is the description of April. Maybe not even that, as the late, great Jonathan Larson mentions the character in Rent.  
  
Author's Note: I know that it's been a REALLY long time since my last post. SORRY!!! But hey, you get two for one this time!! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, or even just read, up to this point. Your support is much appreciated!!  
  
Things in the loft had quieted down since things with the band hadn't been going so well. No one was quite sure that they liked the change, but they were hardly all there at the same time since they were working to meet rent that month. Somehow, though, Benny had gotten them a discount on it. Still, it took working late nights for some of them to scrape by. Maureen had even spent the night at a coworker's place once or twice when she was too tired to walk home.  
  
April came back to the apartment late one night, brushing a bit of snow off her jacket. "First snow of winter!" She called out cheerfully to anyone present, currently Roger and Mark. The dancer jumped lightly over the back of the couch to sit between them, greeting Roger with a kiss. "Watcha guys doing?"  
  
Roger held up some sheets of music he was filling out with a frown. Obviously, he was not doing well with writing a new song... Mark on the other hand grinned at her.  
  
"How do you do it?" he asked, chuckling softly.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Perform in a dance show twice in a day and still be this hyper at night?"  
  
She laughed, "Pixie dust!"  
  
Mark laughed as well. "I thought that pixie dust was what made people fly," he reminded her jokingly.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
*** Later that week, April came home to find Roger furiously looking through her dresser. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
The musician turned to face her, holding up a bottle of pills. "What the fuck are these?" he hissed, furious. April's face paled.  
  
"They're just ecstasy, Rog..." she whispered. "Otherwise I'm too tired to dance twice a night. The girls said it's safe..."  
  
"Oh, they said it's safe?? What the hell, the girls said it's safe!" He turned to face her, his expression desperate. Roger's hands grasped April's shoulders tightly. "April, stuff like that is dangerous. Promise me you won't take it anymore. Try sleeping if you're tired!"  
  
She bit her lip and nodded. "Sure, Babe... I promise."  
  
"Good," he sighed in relief, releasing his grip on her. "C'mon, let's go meet the others at the Life, we're late already..."  
  
The dancer followed him quietly. Sure, she knew he was right, but... It kept nagging at her mind; how had Rog found out? He'd obviously gone through a lot of her stuff before finding those pills... But she let it go, he was worried and he was right. She'd quit...  
  
*** So, what do you think? Anyone figure out what's going on yet? 


	4. Chapter 4

See Her Smile  
  
By Kourin Lucrece  
  
Disclaimer: Nope...  
  
Author's Note: Geez, I am soo sorry! I kept meaning to update, but it never happened!! **please don't be mad at me** Anyway, here's the next chapter!!  
  
April sat cross-legged on the stage, frowning as she reread the first page of Canterbury Tales. So pretty much, it was the beginning of April ((haha)) and it was raining, bringing flowers and life to plants. The constellations were changing with the coming spring... She had that much. Okay, so the spring gave people the courage and inclination to go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury and he (who-ever the 'I' was) met up with twenty-nine people who were doing the same. With a sigh, she turned the page. This could take a while.  
  
"Hey, April!" one of the other girls called over. "Whatcha reading?"  
  
April held up the book in response and Nat blanched. "In Middle English and everything? No wonder it looks like that vein in your forehead's gonna burst."  
  
"Yeah, yeah..." April sighed and placed the book down. "It's for that English course I signed up for," she explained. "I just hadn't expected it to be so difficult..."  
  
Nat nodded sympathetically and came to sit beside her friend. "So take a break. The whole point of today was to relax before opening night."  
  
With a smile, April agreed, placing her book down on the floor. "You nervous?"  
  
"No, you?"  
  
She bit her lip and glanced out over the expanse of seats that would be filled tonight. "No."  
  
Nat watched her with amusement. "Liar," she laughed. "You'll do fine, so don't worry."  
  
*  
  
April stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her costume and making sure her make-up was right. The skin-tight leotard was pale silver, and the translucent skirt flowing to her ankles even paler. Onstage, the skirt would float back like wings. The thought brought a nervous smile to her face. Swan Lake was a beautiful ballet; she hoped she could do it justice.  
  
Exiting the dressing room, the dancer glanced around at all the people hurrying about backstage. The fact that it was actually opening night seemed to have just hit some of them, as she was far from the only nervous face.  
  
Then, all of a sudden, the stage manager was whispering "Good luck!" and pushing them out onstage. It was starting. As the curtain rose, there was no time to be anxious. There was just the music and the smooth flow of practiced steps and graceful turns. The music was a part of her and April lost herself to the dance. Before she even realized it, they were taking bows and the audience was on its feet to applaud.  
  
As the curtain dropped, Nat rushed over and hugged April tightly. "We did it!" the smaller girl squealed. "We did it, and they loved us!!"  
  
"Yeah!" it was easy to get caught up in Nat's enthusiasm. "You were great!"  
  
"So were you," Nat replied, finally releasing her hold on April.  
  
"Hey, April said suddenly, grinning. "My roommates and I were planning on going to the Life Café to celebrate. "Want to come?"  
  
"That's be great!" Nat smoothed her leotard. "Meet you out here after we change, k?"  
  
April nodded, and they both hurried to switch into comfortable street clothes. It felt weird to wear jeans and a tank top after the second-skin feeling of the spandex, but it was a bit more comfortable to say the least. April tugged on her sneakers and hurried out the where Nat was waiting. "All set? Let's go."  
  
The two girls headed for the stage door, chatting about small mistakes they thought they had made, and the reactions of the audience. The cool night air felt nice after the heat from dancing and both girls took a moment to 'soak it in' before finding April's roommates.  
  
It didn't take too long to spot Mark, Maureen, Benny and Collins. The four of them practically group-hugged April, showering both her and Nat with praise at the amazingly wonderful performance. It was wonderful for the dancer, except...  
  
"Mark, where's Roger?"  
  
Her roommates exchanged glances, the happy atmosphere disappearing. "Well," the filmmaker replied hesitantly, "He couldn't come."  
  
*  
  
What do you think so far? Bad Roger... 


End file.
